U.S. patent application number 16/781574 was filed with the patent office on 2020-06-04 for method, system, and graphical user interface for providing word recommendations.
The applicant listed for this patent is Apple Inc.. Invention is credited to Kenneth KOCIENDA, Bas ORDING.
Application Number | 20200174663 16/781574 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39233210 |
Filed Date | 2020-06-04 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200174663 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KOCIENDA; Kenneth ; et
al. |
June 4, 2020 |
METHOD, SYSTEM, AND GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR PROVIDING WORD
RECOMMENDATIONS
Abstract
One aspect of the invention involves a method that includes: in
a first area of the touch screen, displaying a current character
string being input by a user with the keyboard; in a second area of
the touch screen, displaying the current character string or a
portion thereof and a suggested replacement for the current
character string; replacing the current character string in the
first area with the suggested replacement if the user activates a
delimiter key on the keyboard; replacing the current character
string in the first area with the suggested replacement if the user
performs a first gesture on the suggested replacement displayed in
the second area; and keeping the current character string in the
first area if the user performs a second gesture on the current
character string or the portion thereof displayed in the second
area.
Inventors: |
KOCIENDA; Kenneth; (San
Jose, CA) ; ORDING; Bas; (San Francisco, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Apple Inc. |
Cupertino |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
39233210 |
Appl. No.: |
16/781574 |
Filed: |
February 4, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15003773 |
Jan 21, 2016 |
10592100 |
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16781574 |
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13310586 |
Dec 2, 2011 |
9244536 |
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15003773 |
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11620642 |
Jan 5, 2007 |
8074172 |
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13310586 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0237 20130101;
G06F 40/166 20200101; G06F 3/04886 20130101; G06F 3/04883
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/0488 20060101
G06F003/0488; G06F 40/166 20060101 G06F040/166; G06F 3/023 20060101
G06F003/023 |
Claims
1. (canceled)
2. An electronic device, comprising: a display; one or more
processors; memory storing one or more programs configured to be
executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs
including instructions for: displaying a current character string
at a location in a first area of the display concurrently with a
plurality of suggested replacement character strings at a location
in a second area of the display distinct from the first area;
detecting a first input; in accordance with a determination that
the first input selects one of the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings, replacing display of the current
character string at the location in the first area of the display
with the selected one of the plurality of suggested replacement
character strings and ceasing to display the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings in the second area on the display;
subsequent to replacing display of the current character string at
the location in the first area of the display with the selected one
of the plurality of suggested replacement character strings: in
response to detecting a second input, display one or more suggested
replacement character strings, wherein the one or more suggested
replacement character strings is different from the plurality of
suggested replacement character strings.
3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second input
corresponds to an undo input.
4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the one or more
programs further include instructions for: displaying a graphic
extending from the selected one of the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings at location in first area of the
display.
5. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the one or more
programs further include instructions for: in accordance with the
determination that the input confirms the current character string,
adding a space after the current character string at the location
in the first area on the display.
6. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first input
comprises a finger tap on the second area of the display.
7. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first input
comprises activation of a key on a keyboard.
8. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the one or more
programs further include instructions for: highlighting the
selected one of the plurality of suggested replacement character
strings among the plurality of suggested replacement character
strings.
9. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the one or more
programs further include instructions for: detecting an activation
of a key on a keyboard that is associated with a delimiter; and in
response to detecting the activation of the key on the keyboard
that is with the delimiter, replacing the current character string
at the location in the first area of the display with a suggested
replacement character string that is highest ranked among the
plurality of suggested replacement character strings displayed in
the second area of the display.
10. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of
suggested replacement character strings are displayed in ranking
order based at least on user preferences.
11. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the instructions for
replacing display of the current character string at the location
in the first area of the display with the selected one of the
plurality of suggested replacement character strings further
includes: ceasing to display the current character string at the
location in the first area of the display; and displaying, at the
location in the first area of the display, the selected one of the
plurality of suggested replacement character strings.
12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one
or more programs configured to be executed by one or more
processors of an electronic device with a display and a
touch-sensitive surface, the one or more programs including
instructions for: displaying a current character string at a
location in a first area of the display concurrently with a
plurality of suggested replacement character strings at a location
in a second area of the display distinct from the first area;
detecting a first input; in accordance with a determination that
the first input selects one of the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings, replacing display of the current
character string at the location in the first area of the display
with the selected one of the plurality of suggested replacement
character strings and ceasing to display the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings in the second area on the display;
subsequent to replacing display of the current character string at
the location in the first area of the display with the selected one
of the plurality of suggested replacement character strings: in
response to detecting a second input, display one or more suggested
replacement character strings, wherein the one or more suggested
replacement character strings is different from the plurality of
suggested replacement character strings.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the second input corresponds to an undo input.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions
for: displaying a graphic extending from the selected one of the
plurality of suggested replacement character strings at location in
first area of the display.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions
for: in accordance with the determination that the input confirms
the current character string, adding a space after the current
character string at the location in the first area on the
display.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the first input comprises a finger tap on the second
area of the display.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the first input comprises activation of a key on a
keyboard.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions
for: highlighting the selected one of the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings among the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions
for: detecting an activation of a key on a keyboard that is
associated with a delimiter; and in response to detecting the
activation of the key on the keyboard that is with the delimiter,
replacing the current character string at the location in the first
area of the display with a suggested replacement character string
that is highest ranked among the plurality of suggested replacement
character strings displayed in the second area of the display.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the plurality of suggested replacement character
strings are displayed in ranking order based at least on user
preferences.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
12, wherein the instructions for replacing display of the current
character string at the location in the first area of the display
with the selected one of the plurality of suggested replacement
character strings further includes: ceasing to display the current
character string at the location in the first area of the display;
and displaying, at the location in the first area of the display,
the selected one of the plurality of suggested replacement
character strings.
22. A method, comprising: displaying a current character string at
a location in a first area of the display concurrently with a
plurality of suggested replacement character strings at a location
in a second area of the display distinct from the first area;
detecting a first input; in accordance with a determination that
the first input selects one of the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings, replacing display of the current
character string at the location in the first area of the display
with the selected one of the plurality of suggested replacement
character strings and ceasing to display the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings in the second area on the display;
subsequent to replacing display of the current character string at
the location in the first area of the display with the selected one
of the plurality of suggested replacement character strings: in
response to detecting a second input, display one or more suggested
replacement character strings, wherein the one or more suggested
replacement character strings is different from the plurality of
suggested replacement character strings.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second input corresponds to
an undo input.
24. The method of claim 22, further comprising: displaying a
graphic extending from the selected one of the plurality of
suggested replacement character strings at location in first area
of the display.
25. The method of claim 22, further comprising: in accordance with
the determination that the input confirms the current character
string, adding a space after the current character string at the
location in the first area on the display.
26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first input comprises a
finger tap on the second area of the display.
27. The method of claim 22, wherein the first input comprises
activation of a key on a keyboard.
28. The method of claim 22, further comprising: highlighting the
selected one of the plurality of suggested replacement character
strings among the plurality of suggested replacement character
strings.
29. The method of claim 22, further comprising: detecting an
activation of a key on a keyboard that is associated with a
delimiter; and in response to detecting the activation of the key
on the keyboard that is with the delimiter, replacing the current
character string at the location in the first area of the display
with a suggested replacement character string that is highest
ranked among the plurality of suggested replacement character
strings displayed in the second area of the display.
30. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings are displayed in ranking order based
at least on user preferences.
31. The method of claim 22, wherein replacing display of the
current character string at the location in the first area of the
display with the selected one of the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings further includes: ceasing to display
the current character string at the location in the first area of
the display; and displaying, at the location in the first area of
the display, the selected one of the plurality of suggested
replacement character strings.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 15/003,773, filed Jan. 21, 2016, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/310,586, filed
Dec. 2, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,244,536, which is a continuation
of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/620,642, filed Jan. 5, 2007,
now U.S. Pat. No. 8,074,172, the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 11/620,641, filed Jan. 5, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,957,955,
entitled "Method and System for Providing Word Recommendations for
Text Input," and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/310,592, filed
Dec. 2, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,189,079, entitled "Method,
System, and Graphical User Interface for Providing Word
Recommendations," the entire contents of which are incorporated
herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0003] The disclosed embodiments relate generally to text input on
portable electronic devices, and more particularly, to a method,
system, and graphical user interface for providing word
recommendations on a portable electronic device.
BACKGROUND
[0004] In recent years, the functional capabilities of portable
electronic devices have increased dramatically. Current devices
enable communication by voice, text, and still or moving images.
Communication by text, such as by email or short message service
(SMS), has proven to be quite popular.
[0005] However, the size of these portable communication devices
also restricts the size of the text input device, such as a
physical or virtual keyboard, in the portable device. With a
size-restricted keyboard, designers are often forced to make the
keys smaller or overload the keys. Both may lead to typing mistakes
and thus more backtracking to correct the mistakes. This makes the
process of inputting text on the devices inefficient and reduces
user satisfaction with such portable devices.
[0006] Accordingly, there is a need for more efficient ways of
entering text into portable devices.
SUMMARY
[0007] The above deficiencies and other problems associated with
user interfaces for portable devices are reduced or eliminated by
the disclosed device that includes a text input interface that
provides word recommendations.
[0008] According to some embodiments, a computer-implemented method
may be performed at a portable electronic device with a keyboard
and a touch screen display. The method includes: in a first area of
the touch screen display, displaying a current character string
being input by a user with the keyboard; in a second area of the
touch screen display, displaying the current character string or a
portion thereof and a suggested replacement character string for
the current character string; replacing the current character
string in the first area with the suggested replacement character
string if the user activates a key on the keyboard associated with
a delimiter; replacing the current character string in the first
area with the suggested replacement character string if the user
performs a first gesture on the suggested replacement character
string displayed in the second area; and keeping the current
character string in the first area if the user performs a second
gesture on the current character string or the portion thereof
displayed in the second area.
[0009] According to some embodiments, a graphical user interface on
a portable electronic device with a keyboard and a touch screen
display includes a first area of the touch screen display that
displays a current character string being input by a user with the
keyboard, and a second area of the touch screen display that
displays the current character string or a portion thereof and a
suggested replacement character string for the current character
string. The current character string in the first area is replaced
with the suggested replacement character string if the user
activates a key on the keyboard associated with a delimiter. The
current character string in the first area is replaced with the
suggested replacement character string if the user performs a
gesture on the suggested replacement character string in the second
area. The current character string in the first area is kept if the
user performs a gesture on the current character string or the
portion thereof displayed in the second area.
[0010] According to some embodiments, a portable electronic device
includes a touch screen display, one or more processors, memory,
and a program. The program is stored in the memory and configured
to be executed by the one or more processors. The program includes:
instructions for displaying, in a first area of the touch screen
display, a current character string being input by a user with the
keyboard; instructions for displaying, in a second area of the
touch screen display, the current character string and a suggested
replacement character string for the current character string;
instructions for replacing the current character string in the
first area with the suggested replacement character string if the
user activates a key on the keyboard associated with a delimiter;
instructions for replacing the current character string in the
first area with the suggested replacement character string if the
user performs a first gesture on the suggested replacement
character string displayed in the second area; and instructions for
keeping the current character string in the first area if the user
performs a second gesture on the current character string or the
portion thereof displayed in the second area.
[0011] According to some embodiments, a computer-program product
includes a computer readable storage medium and a computer program
mechanism embedded therein. The computer program mechanism includes
instructions, which when executed by a portable electronic device
with a touch screen display, cause the device to: in a first area
of the touch screen display, display a current character string
being input by a user with the keyboard; in a second area of the
touch screen display, display the current character string or a
portion thereof and a suggested replacement character string for
the current character string; replace the current character string
in the first area with the suggested replacement character string
if the user activates a key on the keyboard associated with a
delimiter; replace the current character string in the first area
with the suggested replacement character string if the user
performs a first gesture on the suggested replacement character
string displayed in the second area; and keep the current character
string in the first area if the user performs a second gesture on
the current character string or the portion thereof displayed in
the second area.
[0012] According to some embodiments, a portable electronic device
with a touch screen display includes: means for displaying a
current character string being input by a user with the keyboard in
a first area of the touch screen display; means for displaying the
current character string or a portion thereof and a suggested
replacement character string for the current character string in a
second area of the touch screen display; means for replacing the
current character string in the first area with the suggested
replacement character string if the user activates a key on the
keyboard associated with a delimiter; means for replacing the
current character string in the first area with the suggested
replacement character string if the user performs a first gesture
on the suggested replacement character string displayed in the
second area; and means for keeping the current character string in
the first area if the user performs a second gesture on the current
character string or the portion thereof displayed in the second
area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] For a better understanding of the aforementioned embodiments
of the invention as well as additional embodiments thereof,
reference should be made to the Description of Embodiments below,
in conjunction with the following drawings in which like reference
numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the figures.
[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a portable electronic
device in accordance with some embodiments.
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a portable electronic device having a
touch screen and a soft keyboard in accordance with some
embodiments.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for
providing word recommendations in accordance with some
embodiments.
[0017] FIGS. 4A-4I illustrate a user interface for providing word
recommendations in accordance with some embodiments.
[0018] FIGS. 5A-5B illustrate a user interface for showing
originally entered text in accordance with some embodiments.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments,
examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In
the following detailed description, numerous specific details are
set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the
present invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary
skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced
without these specific details. In other instances, well-known
methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks have not
been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects
of the embodiments.
[0020] Embodiments of user interfaces and associated processes for
using a portable electronic device are described. In some
embodiments, the device is a portable communications device such as
a mobile telephone. The user interface may include a click wheel in
addition to a touch screen. A click wheel is a physical
user-interface device that may provide navigation commands based on
an angular displacement of the wheel or a point of contact with the
wheel by a user of the device. A click wheel may also be used to
provide a user command corresponding to selection of one or more
items, for example, when the user of the device presses down on at
least a portion of the wheel or the center of the wheel. For
simplicity, in the discussion that follows, a portable electronic
device (e.g., a cellular telephone that may also contain other
functions, such as text messaging, PDA and/or music player
functions) that includes a touch screen is used as an exemplary
embodiment. It should be understood, however, that the user
interfaces and associated processes may be applied to other
devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDA's), personal
computers and laptops, which may include one or more other physical
user-interface devices, such as a click wheel, a keyboard, a mouse
and/or a joystick.
[0021] The device may support a variety of applications, such as
one or more telephone applications, a text messaging application, a
word processing application, an email application, a web browsing
application, and a music player. The music player may be compatible
with one or more file formats, such as MP3 and/or AAC. In an
exemplary embodiment, the device includes an iPod music player
(iPod trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.).
[0022] The various applications that may be executed on the device
may use at least one common physical user-interface device, such as
the touch screen. In embodiments that include a touch screen, one
or more functions of the touch screen as well as corresponding
information displayed on the device may be adjusted and/or varied
from one application to the next and/or within a respective
application. In this way, a common physical architecture (such as
the touch screen) of the device may support the variety of
applications with user interfaces that are intuitive and
transparent to a user.
[0023] The user interfaces may include one or more keyboard
embodiments displayed on a touch screen. The keyboard embodiments
may include standard (QWERTY) and/or non-standard configurations of
symbols on the displayed icons of the keyboard. The keyboard
embodiments may include a reduced number of icons (or soft keys)
relative to the number of keys in existing physical keyboards, such
as that for a typewriter. This may make it easier for users to
select one or more icons in the keyboard, and thus, one or more
corresponding symbols. The keyboard embodiments may be adaptive.
For example, displayed icons may be modified in accordance with
user actions, such as selecting one or more icons and/or one or
more corresponding symbols. One or more applications on the
portable device may utilize common and/or different keyboard
embodiments. Thus, the keyboard embodiment used may be tailored to
at least some of the applications. In some embodiments, one or more
keyboard embodiments may be tailored to a respective user. For
example, based on a word usage history (lexicography, slang,
individual usage) of the respective user. Some of the keyboard
embodiments may be adjusted to reduce a probability of a user error
when selecting one or more icons, and thus one or more symbols,
when using the keyboard embodiments.
[0024] Attention is now directed to an embodiment of a portable
communications device. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an
embodiment of a device 100, such as a portable electronic device
having a touch-sensitive display 112. The touch-sensitive display
112 is sometimes called a "touch screen" for convenience. The
device 100 may include a memory controller 120, one or more data
processors, image processors and/or central processing units 118
and a peripherals interface 116. The memory controller 120, the one
or more processors 118 and/or the peripherals interface 116 may be
separate components or may be integrated, such as in one or more
integrated circuits 104. The various components in the device 100
may be coupled by one or more communication buses or signal lines
103.
[0025] If the device 110 includes picture taking capabilities, the
peripherals interface 116 may be coupled to an optical sensor 148,
such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor. The peripherals interface 116
is also coupled to RF circuitry 108; audio circuitry 110; and/or an
input/output (I/O) subsystem 106. The audio circuitry 110 may be
coupled to a speaker 142 and a micro-phone 144. The device 100 may
support voice recognition and/or voice replication. The RF
circuitry 108 may be coupled to one or more antennas 146 and may
allow communication with one or more additional devices, computers
and/or servers using a wireless network. The device 100 may support
a variety of communications protocols, including code division
multiple access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications
(GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Wi-Fi (such as IEEE
802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and/or IEEE 802.11n),
Bluetooth, Wi-MAX, a protocol for email, instant messaging, and/or
a short message service (SMS), or any other suitable communication
protocol, including communication protocols not yet developed as of
the filing date of this document. In an exemplary embodiment, the
device 100 may be, at least in part, a mobile phone (e.g., a
cellular telephone).
[0026] The I/O subsystem 106 may include a touch screen controller
132 and/or other input controller(s) 134. The touch-screen
controller 132 is coupled to a touch-sensitive screen or touch
sensitive display system 112. The touch screen 112 and touch screen
controller 132 may detect contact and any movement or break thereof
using any of a plurality of touch sensitivity technologies now
known or later developed, including but not limited to capacitive,
resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as
well as other proximity sensor arrays or other elements for
determining one or more points of contact with the touch-sensitive
screen 112. A touch-sensitive display in some embodiments of the
display system 112 may be analogous to the multi-touch sensitive
tablets described in the following U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,846
(Westerman et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,570,557 (Westerman et al.),
and/or U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,932 (Westerman), and/or U.S. Patent
Publication 2002/0015024A1, each of which is hereby incorporated by
reference. However, a touch screen in the display system 112
displays visual output from the portable device 100, whereas touch
sensitive tablets do not provide visual output. The touch-sensitive
screen 112 may have a resolution in excess of 100 dpi. In an
exemplary embodiment, the touch-sensitive screen 112 has a
resolution of approximately 168 dpi. The other input controller(s)
134 may be coupled to other input/control devices 114, such as one
or more buttons. In some alternate embodiments, input controller(s)
134 may be coupled to any (or none) of the following: a keyboard,
infrared port, USB port, and/or a pointer device such as a mouse.
The one or more buttons (not shown) may include an up/down button
for volume control of the speaker 142 and/or the microphone 144.
The one or more buttons (not shown) may include a push button. A
quick press of the push button (not shown) may disengage a lock of
the touch screen 112. A longer press of the push button (not shown)
may turn power to the device 100 on or off. The user may be able to
customize a functionality of one or more of the buttons. The touch
screen 112 may be used to implement virtual or soft buttons and/or
one or more keyboards.
[0027] A touch-sensitive display in some embodiments of the display
system 112 may be as described in the following applications: (1)
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/381,313, "Multipoint Touch
Surface Controller," filed on May 2, 2006; (2) U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/840,862, "Multipoint Touchscreen," filed on
May 6, 2004; (3) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/903,964,
"Gestures For Touch Sensitive Input Devices," filed on Jul. 30,
2004; (4) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/048,264, "Gestures
For Touch Sensitive Input Devices," filed on Jan. 31, 2005; (5)
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/038,590, "Mode-Based Graphical
User Interfaces For Touch Sensitive Input Devices," filed on Jan.
18, 2005; (6) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/228,758, "Virtual
Input Device Placement On A Touch Screen User Interface," filed on
Sep. 16, 2005; (7) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/228,700,
"Operation Of A Computer With A Touch Screen Interface," filed on
Sep. 16, 2005; (8) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/228,737,
"Activating Virtual Keys Of A Touch-Screen Virtual Keyboard," filed
on Sep. 16, 2005; and (9) U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/367,749, "Multi-Functional Hand-Held Device," filed on Mar. 3,
2006. All of these applications are incorporated by reference
herein.
[0028] In some embodiments, the device 100 may include circuitry
for supporting a location determining capability, such as that
provided by the Global Positioning System (GPS). In some
embodiments, the device 100 may be used to play back recorded
music, such as one or more files, such as MP3 files or AAC files.
In some embodiments, the device 100 may include the functionality
of an MP3 player, such as an iPod (trademark of Apple Computer,
Inc.). In some embodiments, the device 100 may include a multi-pin
(e.g., 30-pin) connector that is compatible with the iPod.
[0029] The device 100 also includes a power system 137 for powering
the various components. The power system 137 may include a power
management system, one or more power sources (e.g., battery,
alternating current (AC)), a recharging system, a power failure
detection circuit, a power converter or inverter, a power status
indicator (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED)) and any other
components associated with the generation, management and
distribution of power in portable devices. The device 100 may also
include one or more external ports 135 for connecting the device
100 to other devices.
[0030] The memory controller 120 may be coupled to memory 102,
which may include one or more types of computer readable medium.
Memory 102 may include high-speed random access memory and/or
non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage
devices, one or more optical storage devices, and/or flash memory.
Memory 102 may store an operating system 122, such as Darwin, RTXC,
LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as
VxWorks. The operating system 122 may include procedures (or sets
of instructions) for handling basic system services and for
performing hardware dependent tasks. Memory 102 may also store
communication procedures (or sets of instructions) in a
communication module 124. The communication procedures may be used
for communicating with one or more additional devices, one or more
computers and/or one or more servers. The memory 102 may include a
display module (or a set of instructions) 125, a contact/motion
module (or a set of instructions) 126 to determine one or more
points of contact and/or their movement, and a graphics module (or
a set of instructions) 128. The graphics module 128 may support
widgets, that is, modules or applications with embedded graphics.
The widgets may be implemented using JavaScript, HTML, Adobe Flash,
or other suitable computer program languages and technologies.
[0031] The memory 102 may also include one or more applications
130. Examples of applications that may be stored in memory 102
include telephone applications, email applications, text messaging
or instant messaging applications, memo pad applications, address
books or contact lists, calendars, picture taking and management
applications, and music playing and management applications. The
applications 130 may include a web browser (not shown) for
rendering pages written in the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML),
Wireless Markup Language (WML), or other languages suitable for
composing web pages or other online content.
[0032] Also included in the memory 102 are a keyboard module (or a
set of instructions) 131, a word recommendations module (or a set
of instructions) 133, and a dictionary 136. The keyboard module 131
operates one or more soft keyboards. The word recommendations
module 133 determines word completion or replacement
recommendations for text entered by the user. The dictionary 136
includes a list of words in a language, from which word
recommendations are drawn. In some embodiments, the dictionary also
includes usage frequency rankings associated with the words in the
dictionary.
[0033] Each of the above identified modules and applications
correspond to a set of instructions for performing one or more
functions described above. These modules (i.e., sets of
instructions) need not be implemented as separate software
programs, procedures or modules. The various modules and
sub-modules may be rearranged and/or combined. Memory 102 may
include additional modules and/or sub-modules, or fewer modules
and/or sub-modules. Memory 102, therefore, may include a subset or
a superset of the above identified modules and/or sub-modules.
Various functions of the device 100 may be implemented in hardware
and/or in software, including in one or more signal processing
and/or application specific integrated circuits.
[0034] Attention is now directed towards embodiments of user
interfaces and associated processes that may be implemented on the
device 100. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an
embodiment of a user interface for a portable electronic device
200. The device 200 includes a touch screen 208. In some
embodiments, the touch screen may display one or more trays. A tray
is a defined region or area within a graphical user interface. One
tray may include a user entry interface, such as a virtual or soft
keyboard 210 that includes a plurality of icons. The icons may
include one or more symbols. In this embodiment, as well as others
described below, a user may select one or more of the icons, and
thus, one or more of the corresponding symbols, by making contact
or touching the keyboard 210, for example, with one or more fingers
212 (not drawn to scale in the figure). The contact may correspond
to the one or more icons. In some embodiments, selection of one or
more icons occurs when the user breaks contact with the one or more
icons. In some embodiments, the contact may include a gesture, such
as one or more taps, one or more swipes (e.g., from left to right,
right to left, upward and/or downward) and/or a rolling of a finger
(e.g., from right to left, left to right, upward and/or downward)
that has made contact with the device 200. In some embodiments,
inadvertent contact with an icon may not select a corresponding
symbol. For example, a swipe gesture that sweeps over an icon may
not select a corresponding symbol if the gesture corresponding to
selection is a tap gesture.
[0035] Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the keyboard may
be a physical keyboard that includes a set of push buttons, a
keypad, or the like. The physical keyboard is not a part of the
touch screen display. The physical keyboard includes keys that
correspond to the plurality of icons described above. A user may
select one or more of the icons by pushing the corresponding keys
on the physical keyboard.
[0036] The device 200 may include a display tray 214, which is
displayed on the touch screen 208. The display tray 214 may display
one or more of the characters and/or symbols that are selected by
the user. The device 200 may also include one or more physical
buttons, such as the clear, hold and menu buttons shown in FIG. 2.
The menu button may be used to navigate to any application in a set
of applications that may be executed on the device 200.
Alternatively, in some embodiments, the clear, hold, and/or menu
buttons are implemented as soft keys in a GUI in touch screen
208.
[0037] Attention is now directed to FIG. 3, which illustrates a
flow diagram of a process flow 300 for providing word
recommendations in accordance with some embodiments. As text is
entered by a user on a device, one or more candidate character
sequences (suggested replacements) may be provided in response to
the entered text. The user may select a candidate character
sequence to further extend or to complete the entered text.
[0038] A current character string is displayed in a first area of a
touch screen of a portable device (302). In some embodiments, the
current character string (which is a word, number, symbol, or a
combination thereof) is at least a portion of a sequence of
characters entered into the device by a user. The user inputs a
sequence of characters into the portable device via an input
device, such as a keyboard 210, and the device receives and
displays the input on the touch screen. In some embodiments, the
current character string is the endmost sequence of non-whitespace
characters input by the user via the input device and delimited
from the rest of the sequence of characters entered by the user by
delimiters, such as whitespaces, line breaks, and punctuation.
[0039] The current character string (or a portion thereof) and one
or more suggested replacements for the current character string is
displayed in a second area (for example, a word selection area 216)
of the touch screen (304). The second area may be located between
the first area and the keyboard. The one or more suggested
replacements, which may be words, numbers, or combinations thereof,
are selected from a dictionary 136 for display by the device in
accordance with predefined procedures. An example of a procedure
for selecting suggested replacements for display is described in
U.S. Patent Application Attorney Docket 063266-5040), which is
hereby incorporated by reference as background information. The
user may take one of a plurality of actions with respect to the
current character string and the suggested replacement displayed in
the second area. If the user action is activation of a key on the
keyboard associated with a delimiter
( 306 1 N Activate a key ) , ##EQU00001##
the current character string in the first area of the touch screen
is replaced with the suggested replacement (308). The delimiter
associated with the activated key may be appended to the end of the
suggested replacement in the first area. For example, if the
activated key is associated with a comma, a comma is appended to
the suggested replacement (which replaces the current character
string) in the first area. In some embodiments, delimiters include
spaces, line breaks (sometimes called line returns), and terminal
punctuation (for example, commas, periods, exclamation points,
question marks, and semicolons). In other embodiment, delimiters
may include a subset of the delimiters listed above, and may
optionally include additional delimiters as well.
[0040] If the user action is performance of a first gesture on the
suggested replacement in the second area of the touch screen
( 306 1 N Perform gesture on the suggested replacement ) ,
##EQU00002##
the current character string in the first area of the touch screen
is replaced with the suggested replacement (308). In some
embodiments, a whitespace is appended to the end of the suggested
replacement in the first area. In some embodiments, the first
gesture includes one or more taps on the suggested replacement in
the second area.
[0041] If the user action is performance of a second gesture on the
current character string in the second area
( 306 1 N Perform gesture on the current character string ) ,
##EQU00003##
the current character string is maintained in the first area (310).
In some embodiments, a whitespace is appended to the end of the
current character string in the first area. In some embodiments,
the second gesture includes one or more taps on the current
character string in the second area.
[0042] In some embodiments, the device displays a plurality of
suggested replacements in the word selection area. In these
embodiments, the user may select the desired replacement by
performing a gesture on the desired replacement. However, if the
user activates a key associated with the delimiter, a replacement
is selected from amongst the plurality in accordance with one or
more default rules. For example, a default rule may be that the
highest ranked suggested replacement is selected.
[0043] In some embodiments, if the current character string in the
first area was replaced with the suggested replacement, the user
may review the current character string that was replaced. The user
may perform a third gesture on the suggested replacement in the
first area. After the third gesture is performed, the (original)
current character string is displayed in the first area for a
predetermined amount of time. In some embodiments, the third
gesture includes one or more taps on the suggested replacement in
the first area. Further details regarding reviewing the replaced
current character string is described below in relation to FIGS.
5A-5B.
[0044] Attention is now directed to FIGS. 4A-4I, which illustrate a
user interface for providing word recommendations in accordance
with some embodiments. In a portable electronic device 200, text
218 entered by the user via a keyboard 210 or other input may be
displayed in a first area, e.g. display tray 214. A cursor or
insertion marker 220 may be displayed in the display tray 214 to
indicate the insertion position of the next entered character.
[0045] The text 218 may include one or more strings separated by
one or more delimiters, such as spaces and punctuation. The
end-most string in the text 218 may be highlighted as the current
character string 222 (FIG. 4B). The current character string 222
may be a complete or incomplete word. The device 200 may display
one or more suggested replacements 224 (for example, "car" in FIG.
4D; "car," "cat," "cabinet," and "candle" in FIG. 4F) in a second
area, e.g. word selection area 216. A duplicate 226 of the current
character string 222 may also be displayed in the word selection
area 216. In some embodiments, the suggested replacement(s) and the
current character string duplicate 226 are displayed on opposite
sides of the word selection area 216. For example, the suggested
replacement(s) may be displayed in the left side of the word
selection area 216 and the current character string duplicate 226
may be displayed in the right side of the word selection area
216.
[0046] The user may perform a gesture (such as a tap on the touch
screen) on either the duplicate 226 of the current character string
222 or the suggested replacement 224. If the user taps on the
duplicate 226 of the current character string 222 in the word
selection area 216 with a finger 212, as indicated by the finger
contact area 228 in FIG. 4B, the current character string 222 is
left as is in the display tray 214. If the user taps on the
suggested replacement 224 in the word selection area 216 with a
finger 212, as indicated by the finger contact area 228 in FIG. 4D,
the current character string 222 is replaced in the display tray
214 by the suggested replacement 224 (FIG. 4E).
[0047] As an example, the current character string 222 "cae" is
highlighted, as shown in FIG. 4B. If the user taps the duplicate
226 of the current character string 222 in the word selection area
216, the current character string "cae" is completed and becomes
part of the text 218 for which the device 200 is not providing
suggested replacements, as shown in FIG. 4C. In some embodiments, a
space is added to the end of the completed current character
string, as shown in FIG. 4C. In some embodiments, the completed
current character string ("cae" in FIG. 4C) is added to the
dictionary 136. If the user taps instead the suggested replacement
224 "car" in the word selection area 216 (FIG. 4D), the current
character string "cae" is replaced in the display tray 214 with the
suggested replacement "car," as shown in FIG. 4E. In some
embodiments, a space is added to the end of the replaced current
character string in the display tray 214, as shown in FIG. 4E.
[0048] Returning to FIG. 4D, if the user hits (as indicated by the
finger contact area 228 on the space bar 227) a key on the keyboard
210 that is associated with a delimiter, such as a space bar 227,
the current character string 222 in the display tray 214 is
replaced by the suggested replacement 224, and the delimiter
associated with the key that was hit by the user is appended to the
end of the suggested replacement in the display tray 214.
[0049] In some embodiments, the device 200 may display a plurality
of suggested replacements 224 for a current character sequence 222
in the word selection area 216, as shown in FIG. 4F. A user may
perform a gesture (e.g., a tap) on one of the plurality of
suggested replacements to select that suggested replacement. The
current character sequence 222 is replaced with the selected
suggested replacement. As an example, in FIG. 4F, suggested
replacements for the current character string "cae" include "car,"
"cat," "cabinet," and "candle." If the user taps on the suggested
replacement "cabinet," as indicated by the contact area 228 in the
word selection area 216, the current character string "cae" is
replaced in the display tray 214 with the selected replacement
"cabinet," as shown in FIG. 4G. If the user hits a key on the
keyboard 210 that is associated with a delimiter, the current
character string 222 in the display tray 214 may be replaced by the
suggested replacement 224 in the word selection area 216 that is
highest ranked (e.g., "car" in FIG. 4F). In some embodiments, the
suggested replacements 224 are displayed in ranking order
(ascending or descending, depending on the particular embodiment
and/or user preferences) in the word selection area 216, so that
the user may identify which suggested replacement is the highest
ranked.
[0050] In some embodiments, if the current character string 222 is
longer than a predefined length (based on the number of
characters), the duplicate 226 of the current character string 222
in the word selection area 216 may show a subset of the characters
in the current character string 222. For example, the duplicate 226
may show the first six characters of the current character string
222, as shown in FIG. 4H. As another example, the duplicate 226 may
show the first three and the last three characters of the current
character string 222.
[0051] As shown in FIG. 4I, in some embodiments, the highest ranked
suggested replacement 240 is displayed within the space bar 227. If
the user performs a predefined gesture on or near the touch screen
display (e.g., taps or touches the space bar 227), the current
character string 222 is replaced by the replacement string 240
shown in the space bar 227, and the display of the space bar 227 is
then returned to its normal or default status (e.g., blank, or with
the word "space" displaced in the space bar (see FIG. 4H)). It is
noted that the space bar 227 corresponds to a delimiter (i.e., a
space). In some of these embodiments, only the highest ranked
suggested replacement is presented to the user, and thus any other
corrections must be made manually by the user. If the user performs
a second gesture with respect to the touch screen display, such as
tapping any key of the keyboard other than the space bar 227, the
current character string 222 in retained.
[0052] The embodiments of the invention, as described above,
provides an intuitive way to integrate explicit word selection (via
suggested word replacements in the second area), implicit word
selection (e.g., via the space bar or other delimiter keys), and
explicit non-selection of suggested word replacements (via keeping
the current word, e.g., for words with unusual spellings).
[0053] In some embodiments, the device 200 may allow the user to
review strings replaced by user-selected suggested replacements.
Attention is now directed to FIG. 5A 1/N 5B, which illustrate a
user interface for reviewing the originally entered strings that
were replaced by suggested replacements. A user may perform a
gesture over a word 229 in the entered text 218. For example, the
user may tap the word 229 on the touch screen with a finger 212, as
indicated by the contact area 228 in the display tray 214. If the
word 229 (FIG. 5A) was a replacement for some originally entered
text, the originally entered text 230 may be displayed (FIG. 5B).
Alternately, the originally entered text may be displayed if the
user's finger hovers over the word 229 for at least a threshold
period of time (e.g., 0.5 seconds, 1.0 second, or a value between
0.35 and 1.25 seconds). In some embodiments, the originally entered
text 230 is displayed in place of the word 229 for a predetermined
amount of time, such as 2 seconds. After the time has elapsed, the
word 229 is displayed back in its place unless an undo gesture
(e.g., a tap on the original text) is performed, in which case the
originally entered text 230 is durably restored. In some other
embodiments, the originally entered text 230 is displayed in a
balloon graphic or the like extending from the word 229.
[0054] The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has
been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the
illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or
to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many
modifications and variations are possible in view of the above
teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to
best explain the principles of the invention and its practical
applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best
utilize the invention and various embodiments with various
modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
* * * * *